Directors Behind the Scenes – Kevin Moon

Wednesday, January 8, 2025

We wrap up the Behind the Scenes series with Kevin Moon, who has stepped back from traditional coaching director roles but is still the College Advisor, a position that is challenging in how it balances dreams with reality as players seek out a future home in the ever-changing collegiate landscape.

The process seems easy enough at it starts out with conversations about what they are looking for, but it could not be further from the truth.

“I meet with players and their families one on one to discuss their goals, make sure they are looking at all things when considering where they would like to go to school and then try to help them formulate an initial plan to reach out to schools. While I encourage them to chase their dream schools, I also try to make sure that they recognize the importance of their education over anything as those four years should be used to position themselves well for the next 40 years of their lives.

“I also try to make sure that they are looking at the appropriate levels without discouraging them, which can be challenging at times. However, if they are going to be successful in finding a place to play that is one of the most important things to really look at hard and that is my “job” when advising. There is a lot to consider during the college search and it’s not just restricted to soccer. That said the soccer part involves examining your abilities (always get the input from your coaches) in relation to the different levels of college soccer. This can be a humbling experience for some players but if coaches are not honest in what THEY see, they will not be helping that player find the best fit.”

And once the honest assessment of play is attained, finding the right fit comes into play.

“After that you need to look at what you want your experience to be when being a part of a college soccer program. Some players want to be impact players their freshman year, so that will definitely be something to consider during this process. Others don’t mind sitting a couple of years at a higher level, continuing to develop in the HOPES or working their way onto the field their junior or senior year.

“There are players that want to stay close to home and others that don’t mind leaving the northwest. One thing we remind them is that if you limit the area of your search geographically, you also limit the opportunity.

“While there are some players that can absolutely be successful at the DI level, most of our success is seen at the DII and DIII levels and there is nothing wrong with that.”

And it’s not just a decision for soccer because life happens.

“Beyond the soccer we discuss the likelihood of them staying at a program / school if they had a career ending injury, what weather they would like to experience (snow vs sun for example) and other peripheral things. We also remind them that college soccer at any level will occupy most of their time outside of class and then we encourage them to start to move toward that kind of commitment now if they hope to be successful once they leave home.”

Having held the position for many years, it has come with many lessons for Moon.

“Honest conversations are important if you want your players to succeed. I won’t crush a player’s dreams but if they are stretching, I try to make sure that they are casting a wide net at different levels. Chase your dreams and don’t let anyone tell you that you are not capable of doing something but have several backup plans.

“There have been a few players that didn’t find a place to play over the last couple of decades but that usually is down to them not having a backup plan (looking at all levels of college soccer) or limiting their geographical search. Once in a great while a player is capable of playing college soccer at a high level but the programs, they were hoping for just were not looking for their skill set that recruiting cycle.

“Another thing I have learned over the years, as I mentioned earlier, is that parents just want their children to be happy. Almost all the parents I have met with really do appreciate the fact that we encourage players to look at multiple levels. For our club, it’s not the level we are concerned with. We just want them to be happy and successful regardless of where they end up.”

It may be a difficult task, but it is one filled with joy.

“I enjoy the conversation. I really do. It’s fun to hear the hopes and dreams of young players and also a lot of fun to try to help them achieve their goal of playing college soccer. Most parents are great and just want their kid to be happy. It is rare that parents get caught up in insisting on playing at the D1 level, although it happens. It’s also refreshing to get to listen to what players want to do after soccer comes to an end.

And when it comes to understanding the landscape of college recruiting Moon has first-hand experience having assisted the Whitworth programs several times over the years until his recent appointment as the Men’s Head Coach.

“I absolutely love it and it is something I never want to stop doing. Working with young men in what I believe to be very formative years is exceptionally fulfilling. The speed of men’s college soccer is so much fun, and it pushes me to be better and better. I love that part. Even more, being able to do this at the university where both my daughter and I attended and played at is unbelievable. Whitworth really is a special place, and I love that I have this opportunity to coach soccer and grow in my faith with other college coaches from different sports. It really is hard to put into words just what being a part of that community is like.”

And when it comes to players finding ways to prepare themselves for a more full-time training environment to match their collegiate life, many find their way to his Spokane Soccer Academy.

“Over the years the thing that has stuck out to me is that our soccer culture in Spokane is significantly behind big market soccer cultures. I am talking about the areas with large player pools coming out of populations with millions of people in each area. Once in a great while we may find an athlete that is able to keep up with the biggest athletes in the country that play soccer but that is very rare.

“The reason I am passionate about the technical training environment that my academy provides is because it can help players compete with and often beat players that are superior athletes but that are less technical in their game. We have seen many players find success collegiately at all levels just because they are cleaner with the ball at their feet. That comfort with the ball is what allows them to be calm under pressure and quicker in their speed of play. If you’re not constantly worried about the ball at your feet, it’s a lot easier to play!

“It really is a lot of fun to watch a player join us at 8-9 years old and see their growth over years. When those players graduate high school, they are usually most of the best players to come out of our little soccer community that year.”